Beginning with a fleet of Southwest Airline commercial jets, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC), will install a series of water vapor sensors on the jets to map weather conditions. These sensors will provide data back to the NOAA and other agencies, allowing them to predict weather patterns and monitor climate change. Check out a video explanation: This is a first for the commercial airline industry, and also a giant innovative step forward for the natural science field. Southwest’s fleet of jets will be able to cover our nation’s airspace faster than individual jets… read more

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have invented a robotic “muscle” that’s 1,000 times stronger than human muscle. It’s an incredible creation, and could allow the muscle to lift and throw an object 50 times its weight and five times its length. Here’s a short video demoing the muscle: If the muscle performs as expected, it could be used in everything from robots to human prosthetic limbs, as well as exo-skeleton machines for the military. Individuals with damaged muscles would finally be able to function normally again, and those born without limbs and/or individuals who’ve… read more

A ‘Star Trek’ future is nearly upon us. A 20-year old NYU student has invented a gel that heals injured skin almost instantly, stopping blood flow and clotting the wound. Check out the video: As stated in the video, this gel has amazing potential to revolutionize the medical field. For those with naturally thin blood, this gel is a miracle worker. Paramedics will now also be able to stop a patient from bleeding out while on the way to the operating table, as will combat medics, field doctors, etc. We hope to see the gel hit pharmacies in the near… read more

An increasingly energy thirsty world craves transportation fuels, lucrative oils to run factories, and energy to supply the astounding amount of electronic devices that are proliferating. There is a great need for a new sustainable energy resource. Algae can contain high levels of oils, carbohydrates, sugars and proteins, and can be used to produce renewable fuel, animal feed, and human food. Algae is used to run electricity to homes in Arizona and shows great possibility for a future in biodiesel. Heterotrophic microalgae are grown in large fermenters using sugar or starch, similar to the corn ethanol fermentation already providing almost 10… read more

Biometric technology has advanced in recent years, and recognition software is promising to offer some exciting future products for consumers. Forget voice recognition and fingerprint readers, your heartbeat could be your new login method. The latest gear utilizes human gesturing and heartbeat recognition to connect users to their devices, and the Nymi by Bionym has won a top spot on the market with its bracelet system. There are no passwords to remember, but the user’s unique cardiac tempo validates identity and allows wireless connections to laptops, smartphones, vehicles and many other devices. Gestures let you control intended activities, for example, a… read more

Solar panels are efficient at converting light from the sun into energy, but are extremely inefficient on cloudy days, as well as being unable to follow the rotation of the sun. Since sun-tracking solar panels are expensive, a new solution must be created. In comes the Rawlemon Spherical Solar Energy Generator. Check it: Glass isn’t cheap, but it’s more affordable than the aforementioned solar technology. The sphere is also aesthetically pleasing, which will encourage more people to join the green movement. What do you think? Bright idea, or a waste of time and money?

Researchers from the University of the West of England in Bristol have discovered a means of creating intelligent, powerful biocomputers using the slime found on rotten leaves and logs. It is a theory first presented in the 70’s by researchers at the University of California in Berkeley. In 2008, the theory was put into practice using titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Now researchers want to create a “living computer” with the slime mold. Check it: What do you think? Would you ever pay for an organic computer?

The microbial fuel cell creates energy as it cleans waste water. As bacteria oxidizes organic matter, electrons are produced and run from an anode to a cathode within the fuel cell to create an electric current. What does this mean for wastewater? This technology could power waste treatment plants and enable them to sell electricity from an organic source. The new technology developed at Ohio State Uuniversity can now produce 10 to 50 more times the electricity, per volume, than most other approaches using microbial fuel cells, and 100 times more electricity than some. Experts estimate that about 3 percent… read more

Invented in 1903 by Mary Anderson, the windshield wiper is certainly an important invention in the world of transportation. The automotive company McLaren, known for their select and high-tech sports cars, are said to be reworking the way standard windshield wipers will operate. The design will use sound wave technology from high frequency ultrasound waves. The sound waves would make small vibrations on the windshield that would deflect rain, repel dirt and even bugs. This would improve visibility and keep the windshield clear and cleaner over time. Using this type of system would mean that there would be no need… read more

The concept of shipping boxes hasn’t changed much over the last hundred years. We still poorly package items in over-wrapped cardboard boxes, and hope they aren’t harmed on route to their destination. Henry Wang and Chris Curro, engineering students at Cooper Union, have unveiled their idea for a next-gen cardboard box. Check it: The team still has a bunch of obstacles to overcome (as you can see on this Reddit thread), such as ensuring the boxes can’t accidentally open while sitting in a UPS truck, making sure that items inside don’t fall out of the box when it opens, etc…. read more